Weld Faulted in NYC Crane Collapse

Probe centers on equipment, not operators
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted May 31, 2008 6:20 AM CDT
Weld Faulted in NYC Crane Collapse
Part of a construction crane remains standing after it collapsed on Manhattan's Upper East Side and struck an apartment building, right, and demolished another in New York, Friday May 30, 2008.    (AP Photo)

City officials investigating a crane accident that killed two workers yesterday think a bad weld may have been to blame, the New York Times reports. The top of the crane, which met all the city's regulations, snapped off and hit a building. The city has suspended all crane construction until Monday and plans to hire new safety engineers.

The weld under suspicion connected the rotating mechanism of the crane’s turntable to the turntable’s base, the Times said. The accident is thought to have stemmed from very different causes than the March 2 crane collapse that killed 7, which was attributed to mistakes in setting up the machinery. (More New York stories.)

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